05/08/2023 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

            HB 181-STATE COMMISSION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:13:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 181,  "An Act renaming  the State  Commission for                                                               
Human  Rights  the  Alaska State  Commission  for  Civil  Rights;                                                               
relating  to  removal  of  commissioners   of  the  Alaska  State                                                               
Commission for Civil Rights; relating  to reports from the Alaska                                                               
State Commission for Civil Rights;  relating to the definition of                                                               
'employer' for  the purposes of  the Alaska State  Commission for                                                               
Civil Rights; and relating to local civil rights commissions."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:14:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARPENTER  moved   to  adopt  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HB  181,  Version  33-LS0651\U,  Bergerud,                                                               
5/8/23, as the work draft.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE invited Mr. Corbisier  to give an overview of Version                                                               
U,  as  recommended by  the  Alaska  State Commission  for  Human                                                               
Rights (ASCHR).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:14:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROB CORBISIER,  Executive Director,  Alaska State  Commission for                                                               
Human Rights, gave an overview of  the changes in the proposed CS                                                               
for HB 181, Version U, on  behalf of the House Judiciary Standing                                                               
Committee, sponsor  by request, chaired by  Representative Vance.                                                               
In Section  3, a provision  designating the  statewide assessment                                                               
as a  separate report was removed.   Additionally, Representative                                                               
Allard's  request  for  electronic  delivery was  included.    He                                                               
explained that  Section 4 created  an affirmative defense  for an                                                               
employment  claim of  discrimination for  religious corporations,                                                               
associations, educational institutions, or  societies, as well as                                                               
employees hired to engage in  activities that are ecclesiastical,                                                               
spiritual, or  religious.   Section 7  changed the  definition of                                                               
employer,  per  the  commission's   resolution.    All  remaining                                                               
sections aligned with the previous version of the bill.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:17:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote  was taken.   Representatives  Groh, Carpenter,                                                               
Eastman, and Vance  voted in favor of adopting  CSHB 181, Version                                                               
33-LS0651\U,   Bergerud,  5/8/23,   as  the   work  draft.     No                                                               
representatives  voted  against it.    Therefore,  Version U  was                                                               
adopted by a vote of 4-0.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced that HB 181, Version U would be held over.